Mmmmmm, (Foam Plastic) McRib

For all the Mickey D. adherents, here’s a fun McRib primer – and from the pro-industrial food, mainstream media nonetheless. This is a “food” culture gone mad. A nation of convenience zombies.

If you haven’t indulged in one yet, here’s what you’re missing: azodicarbonamide, ammonium sulfate and polysorbate 80 — those are just three of the 70 ingredients (34 in the bun alone) that go into the BBQ pork sandwich, according to the restaurant’s website.

These components are in small enough quantities to be innocuous. But it’s still a little disconcerting to know that, for example, azodicarbonamide, a flour-bleaching agent that is most commonly used in the manufacture of foamed plastics like in gym mats and the soles of shoes, is found in the McRib bun. The compound is banned in Europe and Australia as a food additive. (England’s Health and Safety Executive classified it as a “respiratory sensitizer” that potentially contributes to asthma through occupational exposure.) The U.S. limits azodicarbonamide to 45 parts per million in commercial flour products, based on analysis of lab testing.

Oh, but how ridiculous that I keep touting the primal-paleo way (real food) where my ribs have one ingredient: pasture-based pork. Thanks to Mike Tuggle for the tip.

4 Responses to Mmmmmm, (Foam Plastic) McRib

liberranter says:

January 2nd, 2013 at 8:30 pm

I’ve eaten a McRib once and only once – back in 1979 during one of its early debuts. Even then the very idea of “McRib” seemed borderline nauseating, but, being just 18 years old and largely devoid of good sense, I just had to give it a try. Never again. The Styrofoam container (remember those?) in which it was served had more flavor and the leather of the shoes I was wearing at the time were more tender. I just can’t imagine that things have improved in the ensuing 33 years and I’m no longer willing to find out, my teenage recklessness having disappeared with age.

By the way, for a fascinating historical list of foods that McDonald’s tried (and failed) to sell in the past that were even more disgusting than their standard fare, check this out (having lived overseas in a country without a single McDonalds for many of the years this list covers, I missed most of these. Thank God for very big favors!).

Wade says:

January 2nd, 2013 at 9:02 pm

“… azodicarbonamide, a flour-bleaching agent that is most commonly used in the manufacture of foamed plastics like in gym mats and the soles of shoes, is found in the McRib bun. ”

but at least they keep us safe by throwing people in jail for selling raw milk

DavidBrennan says:

January 4th, 2013 at 4:40 am

Hold on a sec….”azodicarbonamide, ammonium sulfate and polysorbate” are actual INGREDIENTS? I’d always thought those byzantine stews of consonants were just “Raw Pork” in various languages. McDonald’s is an international company, after all.

Of course the Beltway Libertarians (a great oxymoron I picked up from LRC) are correct that McDonald’s has the right to produce and sell this. I wish they’d lunge to also support people who sell real food, also. But I’ll stick with the real libertarian community for real libertarian principles.

jeannie queenie says:

January 5th, 2013 at 9:28 pm

The FDA has ready a 1,236 tome for new food regulations. Looks like lots of reading to do for some folks. I had to laugh at the section where they talk about logistics of keeping deer off of farms. For starters they could give every guy a gun and shoot those mothers who are causing an epidemic of Lyme disease here in new England, especially in CT. Thanks to the PETA pointy heads many of us here suffer with ongoing Lyme and the devastating effects of Lyme arthritis. We need not save every f’n Bambi.

“Those who work in food safety have a long weekend of reading ahead, and much work to do between now and the end of the 120-day public comment period that will follow the official publication of the new regulations on Jan. 16.

How quickly the rules can be implemented, once they’re finally combed through, is yet another question. During the conference call, Taylor spoke at length about the logistics of keeping deer out of farms, for example, and there was no hint of when the other three important sets of regulations tied to FSMA will be released. More troublingly, Hamburg and Taylor repeatedly failed to name any specific figure when asked how much money full implementation would cost the government. “Resources are going to continue to be an issue,” Hamburg admitted.

An estimate from the Congressional Budget of the Office pegged the cost at $645 million a year by 2015, but budget constraints in Washington have kept the FDA from getting any significant increase in funding for food safety” Gonna shake that money tree again.. Can’t help but feel that all this money isn’t going to change a damn thing in the fresh produce dept. I have bought both regular store offerings as well as organic, and don’t see a lick of difference..they both seem to rot within three days..and the price you pay for that is astronomical as added insult.